katherena vermette’s novel real ones is one of five books up for the English-language Governor General’s Literary Award.vanda4/Supplied
Books by katherena vermette, Fawn Parker and Maria Reva are among the fiction finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards this year.
Vermette’s novel real ones, about two Michif sisters whose mother is accused of falsely claiming Indigenous heritage, is one of five books up for the English-language fiction prize, alongside Parker’s autofictional depiction of grief Hi, It’s Me and Reva’s debut novel Endling, about a scientist who studies rare snails.
Rounding out the finalists in that category are Benjamin Hertwig’s Juiceboxers, about four young soldiers serving in Afghanistan, and Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards, which follows a hockey team of Ojibwe high schoolers.
Author Benjamin HertwigSupplied
Globe readers share their favourite Canadian books
The Canada Council for the Arts named 70 finalists across seven categories in both English and French on Tuesday. The 14 winners, who each receive $25,000, will be announced Nov. 6.
The non-fiction finalists include Claire Cameron’s How to Survive a Bear Attack, Teresa Wong’s All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey, and The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse: A Memoir by Vinh Nguyen.
Author Fawn ParkerPenguin Randomhouse
Also in contention are What to Feel, How to Feel by Shane Neilson and Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim ’Joe’ Fortes by Ruby Smith Diaz.
The Governor General’s Literary Awards will also dole out honours for drama, writing and illustration in children’s literature, as well as French-to-English translation. There are separate French-language categories for francophone writing.